Hi there, this is my first post here. Thank you TR for this amazing training tool, I’m just getting the hang of it, and it seems great, specially for the time crunch athletes.
In my setup I have a Elite Direto trainer, with my go-to bike Argon18 gallium pro (just one year old…), I’ve used it 3 times and I’ve notice this problem:
The trainer is biting off the carbon in the interior part of the dropouts.
I notice that because when I got the bike off the trainer it had carbon dust in both dropouts (more in the non-drive side).
Off course it freaked me out like hell, and it’s a bummer since I really start getting the hang of it.
I think it is because the adapter, that acts like end-cap isn’t fixed to the trainer and it allows some movement, with the flex of hitting hard intervals it must move and bits the carbon.
My LBS recommend me to use a spare bike (I have an almost done winter bike that could use, but I prefer to be using the same for all, and would like to give the spare one to my love one so to bike together) .
Has this happen to someone else before? even with any other trainer
The only solution I can think is to put some “Thread seal tape” (teflon) to sit between the dropout and the end-cap to protect it, but doesn’t seem like a long term one…
This is not a guaranteed solution, but adding the motion given from a rocker plate may reduce the stress from a rigid trainer on the dropouts and rear section of the frame.
This shows the relative freedom, and I feel that it reduces the side loads that can happen when we connect the frame to a fixed trainer, and still apply side loads via hard riding. The rocker allows the bike and trainer combo to move in unison with what I expect to be less stress on the dropouts and connect frame members.
Wow, haven’t thought of that. This seems like a great solution to the fixed position in wich the frame suffers (and the rider), although I have to build one just to test if it works, but I think it’s worth trying.
A quick hack that can help you decide if you like the feel is to use a foam rubber pad (or sponges) under the trainer to get a simple amount of compression and movement.
For the Direto, I would add a small wooden dowel under the center feet, then the compressible parts (foam, sponge, etc.) under the outer feet. It will give some movement for a quick evaluations.
Great idea to test if this makes a difference, although I will test with the Teflon tape so not to make more damage to the frame, I don’t want razor thin dropouts hehehe.
Thank you all for the quick response, I’ll keep posting with news when I have the opportunity to test
This might be a stupid question but, what is the problem? I can barely see any damage in the photo - obviously, you don’t want the trainer continually wearing down the surface of the dropout but my understanding is that dropouts are built to withstand an incredible amount of pressure and in the pic, the scrape looks surface-level.
Maybe you’re not tightening the skewer down hard enough?
As I learned in school, there is no stupid questions just stupids that don’t question, hehe.
As to answer, maybe in the picture it’s unclear but the kind of linear groove that should have (and did have) it’s been worn down, by the three uses, so I guess it will wear the carbon, very quickly.
I understand it is made to withstand heavy forces but I think it is the small movements of the endcap that makes a “biting” effect, that I guess it is not made to withstand.
I have an Elite Direto, and have noticed this with the carbon dropouts on my SuperSix Evo. I just make sure to check that my skewer is super tight and usually check it before each ride, the little nut that you have to use on the inside of the dropout is pretty coarse. I’m not sure if this will evolve into a problem, but I’ve been using this bike on the trainer pretty much exclusively since I’ve owned it. Since I’ve made sure to check it regularly, I feel like I’ve seen much less dust. I tried flipping the little nut around for a week but I felt like the bike slipped more that way.
Like people have said, it might be from the frame trying to come loose from the trainer itself, so a rockerplate might help, but I just make sure I’m not going super nuts with body movement on the trainer.
I’ve tried to tight them as hard as I can, I’ll make sure for the next ride to do so, and check if there is a mark in the bike.
It is very difficult not to move side to side on 90-150% efforts; maybe I have to check the front wheel height and my muscle control.
I’ll try putting some teflon tape and check the damage on the tape to asses the best and easy solution, I’ll post about it after the test.
As a FOLLOW UP:
Today I use the trainer, with some plastic tape covering both sides end-caps, and fixed it very hard with the quick-release; the training wasn’t really hard, but even though it still left the tape scraped, with some marks. It seems to work to protect the bike.
In talks with ELITE SUPPORT, they told me that they tested the trainers hundreds of thousends of hours in carbon bikes and inspected them really carefully, so it shouldn’t be any problem.
As I mentioned that this wasn’t the case for me, they are assisting me to asses the problem and try to work it.
I had similar issue and my Scott Foil’s rear NDS dropout worn down.
Later I noticed the NDS spacer should be outside of road bike frame, Not inside!!
In the manual it says we need to face knurled side of spacer inward. Your pic looks outward… Same as my situation!!
We need to put it inside only when we use MTG (135mm dropout spacing)
I had the same issue. Not greatly illustrated or intuitive but it is there in the instructions. The give away is that the frame wont drop in smoothly if the spacer is on the inside (for roadbikes)
Hi there pm123, ultimately what I found to be the best solution is to arrange the Direto setup for it to allow side to side movement. Like trying to emulate the rocket-plate in wich some put the trainers.
Force seems to dissipate through the motion of the trainer and not through the dropouts. It worked for me, hope it does for you.
I understand your point and it makes sense that it can mitigate the problem.
Did you check the difference with a test like the one that you mention above with the tape?
Hi pm123, not really, the carbon doesn’t seem marked, good enough for me. Although I think in the near future I’ll change the Direto for a more stable one.
I can barely see any damage in the photo - obviously, you don’t want the trainer continually wearing down the surface of the dropout but my understanding is that dropouts are built to withstand an incredible amount of pressure and in the pic, the scrape looks surface-level.